Three-way valve



Dec. 25, 1945. i L.. PARKER ET AL M 'THREE-WAY VALVE FildMay 29, 1944 aW 2 a d Ww M www? Patented Dec. 225, 1945 .UNITED sTATEjs PATENT OFFICE2,391,505 Q rimani-WAY VAL-'VE Arthur L. Parker andEmmettC. lHartle(lleveland, Ohio, assig'nors to The vlarker ApplianceCompany,A'Cleveland, Ohio, a UV.corporation of Application' Mayv 29,1944, serial No. 537,936

3 claims. (o1. 251.'.95)

The invention relates to .new `and useful kimprovements in three-wayvalve structures, Ywhich while `capable of other uses, is particularlyadapted for connecting a place of use with two differentsources forcreating a vacuum. o

objectof the invention is to providea valve of few parts which may beused selectivelyrfo'r connecting two different sources for creating avacuum to a place of use.;V Y,

A further object of the invention is toprovide a valve of the above typewherein a valve rotor is selectively connected to the sources forcreat-g ing a vacuum and is at all times connected to the source of use.I d 4 A `still further object of the invention is to provide a valve ofthe above type wherein the valve rotor isrcomposed of two spacedsegments of a cylinder shaped to conform to the cylindri-r cal wall ofthe .valve chamber and wherein said segments: have a port extendingaxially thereof and `connected to a port extending transversely thereofwhich last-named port may be selectively connectedto the sources forcreating a vacuum.

These-and other objectswill inpart be obvious and ywill in part behereinafter more fully disclosed v Y, v

In the drawing which showsyby'way of illustrationjone embodiment oftheinvention,

Figurer 1 is` a` longitudinal sectional l'View' through the`valvefrcasing in a plane containing the axis .of the rotor 'and on theline indicated atl |-,"-.|,illlifure2, 1 i c, Y

vFigure 2 is a transverse sectional View on the line-2--2 -of Figure 1;Y Y d ,Y AFigure 3 .is a detail showing the rotor as viewed from thecylindrical' -face of one section yand showing the means forconnectingthesame lto the stem for rotating the samer y Figure 4 is a view of the,rotor and its operating meansshowing the two segments and the transverseport in-f-ull view; f y,

Figure is a top plan ,viewof the rotor. U

T'he improved three-way valve includes a casing I `,which is onesolid-rectangular block. Extending through thejyalve casing intermediatethe ends thereof is a cylindrical valve chamber 2. Threaded into thelower end of the passage through the valve casing which forms the valvechamber is an adapter 3. The adapter is provided with a port 4therethrough which is adapted to be connected with the place of use.

At one side of the cylindrical valve chamber is a passage which leadsinto the casing block and will be referred to hereinafter as a portadapted to be connected to a source for creating a vacuum, This, Vportis -indicated vat l5 in the drawing. rAt the opposite -end of thevalveIcasing is fa similar port 6 which is adapted v-tobe connected -to aseparate and independent source for creating a vacuum. r Extendinglongitudinally throughthe valve casing vI is a transverse passageproviding a-*port 1 which-connects the port 5 to the cylindrical valvechamber .and a port f, o 8;which connects the port 6 to `the valvevchamber.y These ports 1 and 8 enter the valve cham- -ber atdiametrically opposite sides thereof and a center linethrough these-ports passes Vthrough the center of the valve chamber. y

.Disposed `in the valve chamber is a rotor A9.

Saidrotor is made of twosectiona I0 and II.-

Eachfsectionis a segment of a cylinder. The curved yside ofthesegment/.conforms to the lcylin-` drical \Wall of the valve chamber. Thestraight sides of the segment indicated respectvelyat I2 and I3r areparallel and spaced from each other.- Disposedbetween the twosegmentsvare four springsindicated ati I4. These springs are placed insuitable recesses in the segments so that ythey are supported and theyoperate to force the segments against the walls of thevalve chambermaking a tight seal contact between the rotor and the wall of the valvechamber, The Segments are out away so as'to provide a trans-- verse port115. The inner wall I6 of this transverseiport I5-is parallelfto andoffset to one Yside of a4 line .passing centrally through thelongitudinalvgcenteroofgthe valve chamber and the ,rotating axis ofYthe-rotor. This placing ofthe wall ensures that when the rotor is .inthe position shown in Figure 12, theport v'I will'be completely closed.The portion I'I of the rotor segment I l laps by the Vportsojthat thissegment laps the ,por-t 1 on allgsidesvand completely closes the same.At

the opposite side the `wall :I6 lis disposed'relativel to the port 6 sothat the port is fully opened.

The segments, as above noted, arespaced and thiszspace between rthelsegments indicated at I8 inthe dra-wing, serres asia port connectingthe port of :use 41se1ectively with the ;transverse ports 1 and' `andthus-with the pQrts5 and 6 which. lead to the source for creating avacuum.

The valve casing I is provided with a recess at its upper face in whichis set a cap I9. This cap hase. Ibore 20 therethrough through whichextends a valve stem 2|. This valve stem 2| is provided with lanenlarged head 22 which engages the underside of the cap I9. It is alsoprovided with a flange 23 that extends al1 the way out to the Wall ofthe valve chamber and thus provides a recess for a ring gasket 24. Thisring gasket seals the valve chamber at its upper end.

Attached to the upper end of the Valve stem is a handle 25. Said handlehas a disk-shaped hub 26 with an irregular shaped opening therethroughwhich iits a similar irregular shape on the valve stem. A nut 21 fixesthe handle to the valve stem.

Mounted in 'recesses in the cap I9 are balls 28 which are pressed bymeans of a spring 29 against the under face of the handle disk. Thereare small balls 30 rigidly secured to the handle disk and projectingtherefrom which cooperate with the balls 28 in the positioning of thevalve in a desired set position. This I'indexing mecha-- nism is shown,described and claimed .in detail in a copending application, Serial No.537,935, led of even date herewith, and further description is notthought necessary.

The valve stem on its lower face is provided 20 with a rib 3l which isrectangular in cross section. This 'rib nts in a similarly `shapedgroove 32 formed in the-rotor sections Hl and l I. When the stem .isturned lthe 'rotor sections will be turned thereby through this rib andgroove connection. l.Ihe sections are free to move longitudinally of therib and are only Vrestrained -in their lmovement by their contact withthe wall of the valve chamber.

-As stated above, the three-way valve is 4'capable of various useswherein itis desired 'to connect selectively7 -one of two ports to anindependent port. It is particularly7 adapted for use in an airplaneconstruction. When so applied, -t-he vend ports 5 and 6 will b'econnected independently with -diiferent sources for creating a vacuum.The adapter port 4 will lbe connected toa -ig-ht instrument such las theturn 'and lbank indicator. Nonmally the flight instrument is operated bythe vacuuml produced by the vacuum creating means -to Which the rotor isset for connection. In case 'the vacuum :gi-ves jout, or 'the -li-neleading therefrom -is damaged or otherwise out of aord'er, the 'valvecan -be quickly turnedsc as to connect the `other source lfor -creatinga vacuum to the night-instrument. Whenthe valve-is inthe position shown-in Figure 2, #the port 4 is connected with the 'port I8 between the:segments of 'the rotor and through the 'transverse lport |15 vto 'theport '8 and through the lporit 8 1tothe port l6 leading to Aa sourcelfor creating la vacuum. --At `this time the yport 1 is completely:closed l'bythe valve sector H lapping the wall fof the valve chamberall the way around the por-t y'1. When the valve rotor is turned in aclockwise position, the lpor't 8 will be closed and the port -1connected iin 5a similar manner to the port It.

It is obvious that many changes may bema'defin the details o'fconstruction without departing from the spirit of the invention Aas setforthfin the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination of `a valve-casingihaving-fa cylindrical valvechamber therein, Ia cap lfor closing'the upper lend of said chamber, 'favalve .rotor disposed in said chamber, -`an operating stem extendingthrough said cap and connected to said valve rotor for turning the same,said valve chamber being closed at its lower end by an adapter having aport therethrough, said valve casing having ports on opposite sides ofthe valve chamber connected by passages to the valve chamber atdiametrically opposite points, said Valve rotor comprising two` segmentsof ya cylinder, the outer faces of ,whichc'onfomn to the cylindricalsurface of the valve chamber, said segments having a :transverse passagetherethrough adapted to be selectively'connected with the passageleading to the respective ports and said segments being spaced so as to,provide a connecting passage eX- tendi-ng longitudinally of the valverotor to the port in Ithe adapter.

2. The combination of a valve casing having a cylindrical valve chamber,a valve rotor disposed in said chambercomprising segments of a cylinder,the outer faces of which conform to the cylindrical surface of the valvechamber, said segments being spaced and forming therebetween alongitudinal port, springs disposed between said segments for `forcingsaid segments into contact with the 'wall 'of the valve chamber, saidvalve casing having a 'port vconnected with the port between 'thesegments and 'also having ports on opposite sides of the valve chamberconnected by passages to the valvechamber yat diametrically oppositepoints, said segments of the rotor having va, transverse port disposedat right angles tothe vinner faces `of the lsegments and at one sidel ofthe center of the valve chamber whereby said rotor may Abe selectivelypositioned lso as to connect one or the other of thediametricallylopposed passages to the -port'between the segments.

'3. The combination vof avalve casing having a cylindrical valvechamber, a valve rotor disposed in said chamber comprising segments yofa cylinder, the outer faceslof which `conform to the cyf lindricalsurface Iof the valve chamber, said `segments being spaced and fonmingtherebetween a longitudinal port, springs ldisposed between saidsegments rfor forcing lsaid segments into contact with the wall -of fthe'valve chamber, said valve casi-ng yhaving Aa port connected with theport between the segments and also having ports Aon opposite sides o'fthe valve chamber `connected by passages to the valve chamber 'at-diametrically opposite points, said segments of the rotor having a`Atransverse port disposed-'at'rig'ht angles to the inner faces of thesegments and at one side v'of the center of the valve chamber wherebysaid rotor may ibe selectively positioned so as to connect one or theother of the diametrically opposed passages to ithe port between lthesegments, vsaid rotor fat 4the upper end `thereof having a ygrooveextending across the rotor at rig-ht angles Ato the inner faces ofthesegments, 'said valve casing having -ia-cap, -a stem extendingthrough the -cap Aand having fa 4rib sshape'dfin cross sec'tionltoconform to the groove inthe rotor 1and adapted 'to engage said grooveior 4turning said rotor.

vARTHUR L. PARKER.

C. HARTLEY.

